Dec 23, 2010 10:25 GMT  ·  By

YouTube has become one of the biggest sites on the web based on the videos its users upload and share with their friends. User generated content has always been crucial to the site so YouTube is trying to give the best video creators a boost with a $500,000 'bonus.'

500 of the video uploaders that constantly put out quality content will get a credit at B&H Photo worth $1,000.

"We’re privileged to work with the most passionate and talented partners in the world, who produce and upload videos that inspire us, make us laugh and move us -- and, most importantly, change the way we look at the world," YouTube wrote.

"It’s clear that we want to see YouTube partners continue to create great video and further push the boundaries of what’s possible online. To that end, today we’re giving a $1,000 credit at B&H Photo to 500 partners around the world, who primarily create and distribute their content online, to purchase new video production equipment," YouTube explained.

The 500 video makers regularly create videos that get hundreds of thousands or millions of views and, collectively, they've generated billions of views for YouTube. In total, YouTube has gotten 700 billion views this year alone and 13 million hours of content have been uploaded.

So maybe $1,000 each isn't that big of a deal. Of course, all of them already monetize their videos through YouTube's partner program and some make quite a decent revenue from the videos they create. No one is going to get rich from YouTube videos, but it could provide a nice supplemental income.

Even if YouTube is monetizing more video than ever, it may not yet be profitable despite Google's best hopes. The site is said to generate $1 billion in revenue in 2010, but Google spends a sum comparable to that hosting and serving the billions of videos.